Ski boot improvements



April 11,1967 F. D. WERNER ETAL.

SKI BOOT IMPROVEMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 5l, 1965 April l1, 1967 F. D..WERNER ETAL. 3,313,046

SKI BOOT IMPROVEMENTS Filed March 3l, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet v2 /05 INVENToRs BY PMA/02D A. 195526 P41/z s. Pfflesf/v rrazufr:

PRH 11, 1967 F. D. WERNER ETAL 3,313,046

SKI BOOT IMPROVEMENTS Filed March 3l, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 F- lx. K f

INVENTORS rmvA/K b. h/EJPA/E/P Plv-P47 M .D422 By R/c//zb 4. IDEE/P6 P41/c s. PrRsEa/f United States Patent O 3,313,046 SKI BOOT IMPROVEMENTS Frank l). Werner, Minneapolis, Ralph M. Dari', Excelsior, Richard A. Edberg, Minneapolis, and Paul vS. Petersen, Minnetonka, Minn., assignors to Rosemount Engineering Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 444,220 22 Claims. (Cl. 'S6-2.5)

The present invention has relation to improvements in ski boots and more particularly to a structure for regulating the amount of force necessary to pivot an upper culi' portion of a boot, a device to stop the rearward pivotal movement of the upper cuif portion, and a combination cable-shroud assembly for latching a provided cover flap or door of the boot in closed position and also enclosing the boot to prevent the snow from getting into the boot, while permitting the pivoting of the ankle piece. Y

It has been found that when using relatively rigid type ski boots with a pivotally hinged ankle cuff, some control of the pivoting of the yankle cud about its pivot is dcsirable. In other words, the amount of force necessary to cause the ankle cuff to flex forward should be controlled in order to give proper skiing control.

It has been found that if the ankle cuff of the boot and thus the lower part of the leg of the skier is prevented from bending backward about the ankle bone and if the force necessary to pivot the ankle cuff portion of the boot forward is regulated, skiers can obtain much better control of their skis.

The amount of force necessary to pivot the ankle cuff forward also is variable. In other words, the initial pivoting of the ankle cuff portion of the boot forwardly is restrained under relatively low force and the force necessary to pivot the cuilc rapidly increases with the increase in the amount of forward pivoting of the ankle cuff portion.

The position at which the rear movement of the ankle cuff is stopped is adjustable, as shown, through laces which connect the ankle cuif portion to the main part of the boot. These laces are adjustable and the culf can be then adjusted so that the desired amount of forward tilt ofthe lower leg can be preset into the boot, if desired. This has application in controlling the position of the leg for learners, as well as for expert skiers.

In the present invention,fa ski boot having a side opening boot access ap is shown. Also, as shown there is an ankle cuff portion pivotally mounted on a lower base portion. The basic boot has an open area between the base and the ankle culi. In order to hold the flap closed and also shield the open area of the boot in order to prevent snow from getting onto the foot, a shroud having cables attached thereto is used. The cables and shroud are wrapped around the ankle portion and the upper part of the lower portion of the boot. A tirst end of the cables and the shroud are held on the boot, and the other end is placed into overcenter clamps which tighten the flap or door of the boot into its closed position. The shroud for preventing snow from getting into the boot is also in place.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to present a ski boot having a pivoted ankle piece and means for controlling the force necessary to pivot the ankle piece in forwardly direction.

It is a further object of the present invention to have a device which provides for an increase in resistance to movement of the ankle piece in forwardly direction with anincrease in the pivoting.

It is a still further object of the present invention to present a ski boot having a pivoted ankle piece that is lil) rice

stopped from rearward pivoting beyond a predetermined position.

It is a still further object of the present invention to present a combination cable-shroud clamping assembly for use on ski boots having an access opening that is enclosed by a cuff flap or door and which permits stopping of the pivoting of the ankle cuit in any angular position.

Other objects are those inherent in the specification and will be apparent as this description proceeds.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a ski boot made according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. l as viewedfrom the opposite side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the ski boot of FIG. 1 showing a side ap in open position to permit entry of a foot into the boot;

FIG. 4 is a plan View of a shroud used for covering the upper sections of the boot of FIG. 1 and having cable means thereon for holding a side flap in closed position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as on line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a View taken substantially on the same line as FIG. 5 showing clamp means for holding cables in place which, in turn, retain the side ap of the boot in closed position; i

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. l with a shroud around the other upper portions thereof removed;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the device of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 7 as viewed from the opposite side thereof;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the boot of FIG. l;

FIG. 1l is a sectional view taken as on line 11-11 in FIG. l0; and

FIG. l2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken as on line 12--12 in FIG. 1l.

Referring now to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, a boot is comprised of a lower section or boot portion 101 and an ankle cuff assembly 106 (see FIG. 7). 'The lower portion 101 includes a main boot member 102 and al flap or door member 103A. The lower ap or door member 103A is hingedly attached with a suitable longitudinally extending hinge 104 to the main members adjacent the sole 105 of the boot. The flap or door pivots about hinge 104 from the closed position as shown in FIGS. l, 7, 9, etc. to an open position as shown in FIG.'3. f ,i

The boot 100 includes an ankle or cuff assembly portion 106. The cuff assembly portion 106 is also split into two sections, and has a first culi section 107 that comprises a part substantially cylindrical band or member 108 that is attached to a strut 109. The strut 109 can be attached to the `band 108 with a suitable interlocking bracket 115 in a manner so that the bracket and strut can be released and then slid in vertical direction with respect to each other. Suitable fastening means can be provided for fixing the bracket 115 with respect to the strut 109. The band 10S will move with the-strut 109.

The strut 109 is pivotally mounted to the bracket 110 with a suitable pivotal rivet or other member 111. The bracket 110 is xedly attached to the lower main portion 102 of the boot with suitable attaching screws or rivets 112. Bracket 110 extends above the upper edge of the main portion of the boot. The lower portion ofthe boot is cut away as shown to provide clearance for the pivotal movement of the strut 109 about its axis in direction as indicated by arrow 113.

The ankle or cuff portion 106 also includes a second or flap cuff section 117. The Hap cuff section has a part cylindrical band 118 (the bands are not necessarily perfectly cylindrical but are termed this for convenience of nomenclature) which is attached to a rigid upright strut 119 so as to move the strut. The strut 119 is pivotally mounted to a bracket with a rivet 121 or other suitable pivotal mounting member. The bracket 120 is fixed to lower ap member 103A of the flap assembly 103 with suitable fastening members 122. The two part-cylindrical portions or bands 108 and 118 pivot about the same axis and willmove in a fore and -aft direction. The amount-of rearward or aft pivotal movement of the cuff is limited as will be further explained later.

The lower fiap portion 103A and the ap ankle cuff assembly 117.together form a flap assembly 103. With the fiap assembly in closed position, the cuff assembly, comprising sections 107 and 117 (which in turn comprise the bands 108 and 118 together with the struts and other accessories on the bands) pivots with respect to the lower boot portion 101 (comprising lower flap member 103A and lower main boot portion 102). With the ap open the main boot -assembly and the liap assembly 103 become distinct portions of the boot. The flap is of size so a foot can be inserted into the boot with the flap assembly open.

A plurality of suitable individual pads, illustrated generally at 124 -which will be more fully explained later, are fixedly or releasably attached within the boot, as desired, through the use of suitable adhesives or other fastening devices. The pads can be held in with snap fasteners, if desired or with nylon hook fasteners rnarketed under the trademark Velcro fasteners. Individual pads are attached to the main cuff section 107 enposite end of the shroud. The upper cable 131 canl be of any suitable cable and, as shown, has a spherical ball tting 135 suitably attached at the first end thereof and has a latching memberv 136 suitably attached to the opposite end of the cable. Y

The lower cable assembly 137 is slipped into the lower hem member 128 of the shroud and extends along the lower edge of the shroud. The lower cable assembly also includes a spherical ball fitting 138 attached at the first end thereof. The cable has a latching bracket 139 attached to the opposite end thereof.

On the main section of the boot (as distinguished from the lflap section) an upper toggle clamp member 142 and a lower clamp 141 are Yfixedly mounted. The clamp member 141 is mounted onto the lower portion of the boot and clamp 142 is mounted to the band 108 of the cuisection 107. The clamps are identical except their base portions are reversed.

Each of the clamps includes a base portion 143 that is attached directly to its respective part of the boot and a toggle lever 144 which is pivotally mounted as at 145 to a pair of ears 146, 146'that are fixed to the base section.

circling the ankle and also are attached to the lower fiap portion and to the lower main 'boot portion in order to give adequate support to the foot and hold it with respect to the outer shell of the boot. The ankle pad wraps around the ankle of the wearer and the flap is then closed to hold the ankle securely.

It should be noted that the lower portion of the boot is preferably made of a rigid material, such as a lightweight metal or a molded or formed rigid plastic, such as a fiberglass reinforced plastic. The bands 108 and 118 are preferably of the same material.

The two cuff sections 107 and 117 are held in a closed position, as well as the entire flap member being held in a closed position through the utilization of a pair of cables, one of which encircles'the cuff members and another that encircles the main boot portion adjacent the upper portion thereof. The cables are tightened and held in place with suitable clamps. At the same time, a shroud, which carries the cable, is held in place over the cuff section main portion of the boot to cover over any open portions between the cuff section and the main boot portion makes the boot more attractive, and keeps snow out of the boots.

Referring first to FIG. 4, the shroud assembly is shown in general detail. The shroud assembly is comprised of a suitably shaped piece of cloth 126 or other suitable material that can be made in two sections, as shown, and has a hem band `127 at the top and a band 128 sewn thereto its bottom.

As shown, the cloth is cut and molded so that it will fit over the forward portions or instep of the boot in the body section 130 and will snugly fit around the rest of the cuff section and boot section as shown in FIGS. l and 2. The shroud and cable assembly 125 is designed to streamline the boot, hold the access iiap closed and keep snow out of the open section between the cuff member and the main portion of the boot and still not be affected by the angular position of the cuff portion.

A first upper cable 131 is attached to the shroud member by clipping it under the edging 132 at one side of the shroud, passing it under a seam binding strip 133 and also passing the cable through an opening 134 adjacent the op- Cit The base sections of the clamps 141 and 142 also have two lugs 147 which vare fixed with respect to the boot and are of size so that the balls on fittings 138 and 139, respectively, will fit between these lugs land be retained therebetween. The ball seats against the lugs and the cable is retained.

In order to hold the fiap assembly 103 closed, the balls and 138, respectively, of the upper and lower cables are fitted between the lugs 147 on the upper and lower clamp members 142 and 141, respectively, and the shroud is then wrapped around the boot. The lower cable 137 is fitted within a provided groove 148 at the forward midsection of the base portion of the boot to hold it in place, as well as under a small clip at the rear of the boot. The latching members 136 and 139, respectively, fit Within grooves 149 on each of the respective levers 144. The latching members 136 and 139 have T ends that are held in position against stop blocks 150 on each of the levers and the levers 144 are flipped closed. The levers go overcenter when in closed position so the force on the cables holds the lever against the boot. The position of the levers is shown in FIG. 5 after they have been flipped overcenter and are locking the cables tightly. As the cables are locked the cables will tighten against the flap member and hold the ap member securely in closed position, and thus hold the fo-ot of the wearer inside the boot.

The length of the cables can be adjusted to insure that proper fit is provided on the foot and that the fiap member is securely held in place. The adjustment can be made at the fittings 135 and 138. A two part fitting is used with the ball portion threadably mounted into the base portion of the fitting. By simply threading the one portion with respect to the other the length of each cable assembly can be changed.

The fit of the boot on the foot can also be taken care of by adjusting the padding inside the boot, as will be more fully explained.

When the levers have gone Iovercenter as shown in FIG. 5, the cables will be securely held. The g-roove 148 in the boot will hold lower cable in position and the upper cable, which is merely wrapped around the cuff assembly, will be held by the lever 144 of the upper clamp assembly.

With the flap assembly 103 held closed by the shroud 125 and the cable assemblies of the shroud, the upper cuff portion will still pivot about the axis of pins 111 and 121 in fore and aft direction. The material of the shroud is formed to cover the instep, keep snow out of the boot, and is, of course, flexible and preferably waterproof. The shroud and cable assembly can be removable, al-

though as shown the shroud is adhesively secured to the fap of the boot.

If desired, the end of the shroud and the cable ends (where fittings 135 and 138 are shown) can be fixed to the boot. In this manner the entire shroud would be wrapped and unwrapped when the boot flap is to be opened or is to be held closed. With the one edge of the shroud held, the free ends of the cables are fastened by the clamps after the shroud is wrapped around the boot.

In the present invention, the two cuff sections or bands are interlocked so that the shear load is transferred from one of the cuff mem-bers to the other. The loads are then carried through the struts to the base of the boot and inasmuch as it is rigid the boot will not give but will give good support from the lower leg to the foot and thus to the ski. Vertical shear movement between the cuff sections is prevented.

As can be seen, the band 108 of the cuff member 177 has brackets 155 and 156 at the front and rear parting lines thereof. The parting lines are the division line between the bands 108 and 118.

The brackets, as shown, are fixed to the band 108 in a suitable manner. On the rear bracket 156 three small cylindrical bosses 157 are fixedly attached. Bosses 157, as shown, are partially positioned in provided receptacles on the edge portion of the band 108 at the rear thereof and partially extend outwardly beyond this edge portion of the band108.

Likewise, on the front bracket 155 there are bosses 158 Y that are attached to the bracket and are partially within receptacles defined in the edge portion of the band 108.

Also, as shown, the band 118 on the flap member is provided with a plurality `of receptacles 159 at the rear thereof and the receptacles 160 at the front thereof which align with and fit over the portions of the bosses of the respective brackets 155 and 156 extending outwardly from the edge of band 108 when the ap is in its closed position and is held closed with the cables.

Also, it should be noted that the edge surfaces of the band 108 are beveled slightly and a mating bevel is provided on the edge surfaces of the band 118. When the ap is in its closed position the bevels on the edge suryfaces of the two bands of the cuff section mate together, at the same time that the receptacles 159 and 160 fit over the studs or ybosses 157 and 158, respectively.V

Thus when the flap is held in its closed position the two band sections 108 and 109 of the cuff member cannot move relative to each other either in a vertical direction, which movement will be stopped by the studs 157 and 158, nor can they move in and out with respect to each other. The interlocking bevels, acting along with the base portion of the brackets 155 and 156 will prevent the bands from moving with respect to each other normal to their surfaces at their junction points.

In order to hold the foot firmly in the boot, various structures have been advanced. However, the preferred embodiment shown comprises a number of individual pads illustrated generally at 124 located inside the boot and secured in place in a suitable manner, such as with snap fasteners or similar devices.

The pads are divided as shown. This is perhaps best seen in FIG. 3. In the main or lower portion of the boot, on the main boot section there is a foot side pad 165 that extends up over the instep of the wearer and also a pad for the opposite side of the fot 168 which is attached to the ap portion. lEach of these pads are self contained so that the ap can open and close. In addition, there can be heel pads 169 (only one shown) on the opposite sides of the heel which will be positioned to clamp down onto the heel at the back sides thereof and hold the foot firmly down in position. In the form shown, the portion at the back of the boot is left without padding, as in the toe portion.

In addition, a long continuous wrap around pad 170 is provided on the ankle cuff portion. The pad is actu ally fastened to the band 108 on the main portion of the boot and has flap extensions which can be wrapped around the cuff before the flap is closed. The pad is then held against the ankle when the fiap of the boot is closed, and the cables snapped into place.

As shown in FIG.3, nylon hook fasteners (sold under the trademark Velcro) can be used for holding the loose extension of the wrap around pad in place before the flap portion yof the boot is closed.

The pads can be constructed in any manner desired, usually of a soft leather material. The pads are filled with a suitable conformable material. The pads will have suitable provision for adding additional material or supplemental pads to make necessary corrections in tit. As shown, the pads are sewn along their seams, to form envelopes filled with pad material.

The pad material is a material which will conform to the shape of the foot and retain this shape. The material and also more detailed description of the pads themselves is present in United States patent application of Frank D. Werner and Marvin A. Luger, Ser. No. 362,723, filed April 27, 1964, for Ski Boot, which application is assigned to the same assignee as this applicati-on and is known to the present applicants.

The material filling the pads is preferably deformable, and somewhat insulating, It must hold the foot inside the boot to prevent it from slipping around. The pad can be filled with shredded foam rubber it` desired, a1- though the material disclosed inv co-pending application Ser. No. 362,723 is preferred.

The insole of the boots can also be covered with padding material in order to form the bottom of the boot, if

desired.

As stated previously, the pivoting ankle cuff portion is stopped from pivoting too far rearwardly about the axis of pivot and also, there are resilient meansl provided for regulating the stiffness of pivoting of the ankle cuff in forward direction.

In order to control the force required to pivot the ankle cuff section about its axis in forwardly direction, which is the normal direction of bending of the ankle when skiing, a loading device illustrated generally at 200 is utilized. As shown, the loading `device includes a bracket 201 which is mounted in xed position against the inner surface of the bottom wall 202 of the boot sole adjacent the toe portion. This bracket 201 is positioned below the insole 203. As shown, the insole 203 is installed after the brackets and associated mechanism that will be explained later has been put into place.

The bracket 201, as shown, is used for mounting a plurality of resilient tension members or elastic links illustrated generally at 204. The tension members or elastic links are designed so that each requires a different force to extend, or in other words, they have different stiifness, but basically their construction is'substantially identical.

Each of thetension members includes a center strip which is made of rubber or similar elastic material and which has a pair of end members or brackets attached to the strip. A means for attaching the end members to the elastic or rubber center member is shown in detail in the co-pending application of Frank D. Werner land Paul S. Petersen entitled, Elastomer Tension Carrying Device, Ser. No. 444,183 filed on even date herewith; and known to applicants. Each of the tension members has a first end member 206. The end members 206 are fastened to their respective center sections of rubber and each has a hooked portion 207 which fits within a provided notch in the bracket 201.

The center or first tension member 208 has the first member attached to a center strip 205 of rubber and a second end member 208 which is substantially identical to the end member 206. This first tension member has a hook portion which engages a provided opening 210 in a drawbar 211.

A second tension member 214 has its rst end member 206 hooked in a provided opening in bracket 201 and attached to a strip 213 of rubber or other elastomer and has a second end member 215 attached thereto and which is bifurcated and has a slotted opening therein. A pin 216 which is fixedly attached to drawbar 211 extends through the slotted opening 217 of each leg of the bifurcated legs of end member 215.V The legs of the bifurcation are on opposite sides of the drawbar 211 as shown. The tension member 214 will not start to pick up load until the drawbar has moved so that the pin 216V engages the outer end of the slots 217.

A third tension member 220 has a first end member 206 which is attached to the bracket 201 and also fastened in a suitable manner to a strip 219 of rubber or other elastomer and also has a second end member that is attached to'strip 219. The second end member 221 is also bifurcated and a slotted opening 222 is defined in the bifurcated portion; A pin 223 which is attached to the drawbar 211 extends through the slotted opening 222 of each leg of the bifurcation. rearwardly, the tension member 220 will not pick up load until the pin 223 engages the end of slot 222. This will not happen until after the second tension member 214 has picked up some of the load. The rubber strip has a shorter effective length on tension member 214 than on tension member 208 and therefore it is stiffer. The strip of tension member 220 is also shorter than the strip of member 214 so the tension member 220 is stiffer than member 214.

The drawbar 211 is slidably mounted with respect to the sole 202 of the boot and has suitable guide members 224 for keeping it in position and slightly spaced from the sole of the boot.

A piece of substantially nonstretchable webbing comprising a exible link 225 is attached to the opposite end of the drawbar from the tension members by looping the end piece of the webbing through an opening 226 in the drawbar and sewing the webbing back upon itself with suitable stitching. The webbing is substantially centered in the drawbar with respect to the tension members.

The webbing or iiexible link extends substantially parallel to the sole 202 and is p-assed into a hollow tubular chute member 228 which is made of a suitable metal. The base of the `chute member extends parallel to the boot sole and then angles rearwardly and upwardly along .a center chute section 229 toward the rear of the boot. Then extends through a provided opening 227 in the shell or outer portion of the boot. The chute then extends upwardly along the outside of the boot with an outer section 230 and is fastened with a clip 231 over the rear top edge of the lower part'of the boot. The chute section 230 is actually positioned in a recess formed in the rear wall of the boot. The web 225 extends upwardly toward the ankle cuff portion after it leaves the chute 228. The web has a clip 232 secured thereto with suitable rivets or other means. The clip 232 has opposite side edge surfaces which mate with spaced apart serrated opposite side edge .surfaces which mate with spaced apart serrated surfaces 234 of a mounting bracket 235 which is fastened to theband 108 of the ankle cuff section of the main portion of the boot.

The position of the clip 232 in the bracket 235 can be adjusted. The clip 232 is held in place within bracket 235 with a screw 236 which is threadable into provided openings in the bracket 235 .after the serrations between the clip and the bracket have been mated. The clip, once screw 236 is removed, is pulled out of the bracket so that the serrations clear each other and can be adjusted up or down. A plurality of holes for the screw 236 can be provided so that the screw will always tit into one of the openings regardless of the position of the clip in the bracket, as long as the serrations between the cli-p and the bracket are mated.

As the drawbar moves` The chute 228 is held in place on the sole panel by suitable ears attached to the chute and which are riveted with Riv Nuts to the sole bottom 202. The

VRiv Nuts will hold the chute in place and have threaded center openings through which a screw can be threaded.

The boot insole 203 is held in place at the front portion thereof by a clip 240 under which the insole is inserted and at the back portion the insole is held in place by two screws which are threaded through the insole, through an insole support block 241 and into the Riv Nuts. The bottom of the support block 241 is recessed suitably to provide passage for the chute 228. The support block supports the rear portion of the insole 203. v

1n addition, the support block 241 has compressible rubber bumpers 242 attached to the front thereof, and which are positioned to engage the drawbar 211 when the drawbar moves rearwardly a sufficient distance. The bumpers 241 will compress slightly before stopping movement of the drawbar.

The rearward pivoting of the ankle cuff assembly is limited by providing a lacing 245 which is fastened with a suitable knot 246 to one side of the lower portion of the boot and is alternately laced through openings 247 in the cuff member 108 andv openings 248 in the lower portion of the boot as shown. The lace 245 is thenpassed through one of the provided openings 248 and is extended down along the side of the main portion of the boot and underneath the insole 203 and over to the flap portion of the boot. The lace 245 is then threaded alternately through openings 249 on the lower ap portion 103A up into openings 251m the band 118 on the tlap, in the same manner that the lace is threaded on the main section of the boot. The end of the lace is then tied onto itself. The lace can be lengthened or shortened to position the upright axis of the ankle cuff at the desired angular position about its transverse pivotal axis. If desired, the lace can be shortened when the boot is on the foot of the wearer to get proper adjustment. Using the one continuous lace 245 that passes underneath the insole from one side of the boot to the other lets the two sides of sections of the lace equalize so that each hal-f of the ankle cuff section is stopped at the proper place an-d there is not any undue twisting or torsion between the ankle cuff sections due to an unequal length of laces on each side. 'The laces will equalize themselves because it is a continuous lace path through each of the openings. If desired, suitable guides for the lace 245 can be provided. The lace ts behind the pads in the boot so it doesnt hurt the foot.

As was mentioned previously, the strut 109 is vertically adjustable in the bracket on the band 108. This is in order to enable the wearer to cant or tilt the ankle cuff with respect to the sole so that the axis of the ankle cuff, or in other words the pivotal plane of movement of the ankle cuff can be changed in angle with respect to the sole of the boot. This is to compensate for bowleggedness or other maldeformities of the leg bone structure. By changing the position of the strut 109 the upright axis of the ankle cuff can be tilted as desired. The strut, as shown, has serrations which mate `with serrations inthe bracket 115. A screw passing through an opening in the strut is threaded into the bracket to hold the two parts in locked position, in the same manner as the clip 232 and bracket 235 are held.

A plurality of holes can be provided in the strut 109 for the screw and a plurality of threaded openings provided in the bracket 115 to insure that the screw for the strut can be fastened no matter when the strut is positioned relative to the bracket. If desired a slot could be provided in the strut for the screw, just as a slot could also be provided in clip 232 for screw 236.

When the strut is adjusted relative to bracket 115, it will immediately be seen that the distance between ythe lower portion of the boot and band 108 may be different than the distance between the lower portion of the boot and the band 118. This means that the laces between the lower portion of the boot and the band 108 would have to be changed in length. Because of this canting of the ankle piece, the method of equalization of the lace 245 between the two sides of the cuff is very important and makes adjustment thereof relatively simple. The lace itself will adjust itself even after the ankle piece has been canted by changing the distance between the band 168 and the lower portion of the boot. The lace will also be unaffected when the flap or door is open. The lace will hinge when the door opens The lace has two separate sections, one on the main portion of the boot and one on the flap portion of the boot.

When the boot is to be used, the foot is inserted into the interior of the boot, with the flap or door in its open position as shown in FIG. 3, by first inserting the toe portion of the Ifoot and then putting the heel portion in which a twisting motion. Oncethe foot is inside the shell of the boot, the upper ankle pad 170 is wrapped around the ankle and held inV position with suitable fasteners. It should be noted that the pad is tapered an-d overlapped in order to obtain a good fit around the ankle. The flap assembly, including the upper cuff band 118 on the lower portion of the ilap assembly, is moved to a closed position and the shroud is then fastened into place. If the shroud is used as shown, the cable ends with the ball fittings on the cables are placed between the provided lugs 147 on their respective clamps and then the cables and latching members together with the shroud are pulled around the front of the boot and fastened onto the latching levers 144. The cables will slide in the shroud if necessary for proper fit. The levers 144 are then flipped overcenter and the cables are thus tightened down. The shroud is also securely held into position when the cables are tightened down. The two cableshroud assembly permits fastening of the door or flap of the boot and yet permits pivotal movement of the ankle cuff. The should will fit regardless of the position at which the cuff assembly is stopped.

The forward position of the ankle piece where tension is rst applied can be adjusted by moving the clip 232 to its desired position in bracket 235. Likewise, the at rest angular position of the upright axis of the ankle cuif assembly can be changed by lengthening or shortening the lace 245 in order to obtain the desired position. As stated previously, the equalizing device of the laces, where the lace passes from one side of the boot to the other, which permits adjustment of only one end of the lace and the lacing on each side of the ankle will equalize, in order to maintain an evenly stopped position in each of the ankle cuff bands.

After the boot has been adjusted, and the wearer is skiing, the ankle cuff will bend forwardly, and when it does it exerts a pull onthe webbing or strap 225, which in turn will cause the webbing to ride against the upper side surfaces of the chute member 228. The cables and shroud will not affect this pivoting. The friction on the webbing and chute will tend to retard movement of the cuff in forwardly direction. In addition, the webbing 225 will pull on the drawbar assembly 211. As the drawbar assembly moves rearwardly as indicated by arrow 25), the first tension member 208 will immediately start to resist movement of the drawbar and webbing. The lirst tension member will exert a resilient force tending to prevent movement of the ankle cuff assembly in forwardly direction. If the ankle cuff assembly continues to pivot forwardly, the drawbar will move further in direction as indicated by arrow 250 until the pin 216 engages the end of the slot 217 of the second tension member 214. The second tension member will increase the resistance to movement of the drawbar and the force necessary to continue pivoting of the ankle piece in forwardly direction will increase. This is true not only because the elastic or rubber strip of the first tension member 208 is extended but also because the second tension member 214 is starting to pick up load. The

second tension member is stiller than the first tension member. If the drawbar is continued to move rearwardly then the pin 223 will strike the end of slot 222 and the third tension member will also start to stretch. This, of course, will continue to `increase the load tending to hold the ankle cutfportion from pivoting in forwardly direction.

lf the pivoting of the ankle cult is extensive, the drawbar member 211 will strike the bumpers 242 and these bumpers will compfess slightly until the drawbar reaches a stopped position at which time theV forward pivoting of the ankle piece will be completely stopped. The tension members sequentially start to pick up load to resist pivoting of the ankle cuff assembly.

Not only do the tension members and the stop bumpers progressively resist forward pivotal movement of the ankle hinge portion, but the friction between the web 225 and the chute 228 increases as the force on the Web increases. This is a further factor in stopping or retarding forward pivoting of the ankle piece.

The rate of force of the tension members thus increases as the ankle piece pivots farther forwardly. This corresponds to an increase in spring rate of the system.

What is claimed is:

1. In a boot having a base portion and an ankle cuff portion pivotally attached to said base portion for limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis substantially coinciding with the axis of pivot of an ankle bone of a foot within said boot, and means for permitting foot access into said boot, the improvement comprising bias means for biasing said ankle cuff portion to resist forward movement about its pivot relative to the base portion, and stop means which positively limits the rearward pivotal movement of the said ankle cuff portion about the transverse axis to a predetermined angular position and permits forward pivotal movement thereof.

2. In a boot having a base portion and an ankle cuff portion pivotally attached to said base portion for limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis substantially aligning with the ankle of a foot Within the boot, and means for permitting foot access into said boot, the improvement comprising bias means for biasing said ankle cuff portion to resist forward movement about its pivot, and stop means comprising a lace extending between said base portion and said ankle cuff portion at the forward part of said ankle cuff portion to limit the rearward pivotal movement of said ankle cuff portion and permit forward pivotal movement thereof.

3. The combination as specified in claim 2 wherein said lace includes separate lace sections on opposite sides of said ankle cuff portion, and therein a continuous lace is utilized for the two sections and is passed from one side of the culf to the other.

4. In a boot having a base portion and an ankle cuff portion pivotally attached to said base portion for limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis substantially aligning with the ankle of a foot within the boot, and means for permitting foot access into said boot, the improvement comprising bias means for biasing said ankle cuff portion to resist forward movement about its pivot, said bias means including means to increase the force rate thereof tending to resist increased forward pivotal movement of said ankle cuff portion as said ankle cuif portion is pivoted forwardly, and stop means which limits rearward pivotal movement of said ankle cuff portion and permits forward pivotal movement thereof.

5. The combination as specified in claim 4 and stop means for limiting the forward pivoting movement of said ankle cuff portion.

6. The combination as specified in claim 5 wherein said bias means comprises a substantially non-stretchable flexible link attached to said ankle cuff portion, guide means on the base portion of said boot, said non-stretchable flexible link being positioned in said guide means, a tension member, means to attach said tension member between the base portion of said boot and said nonl l stretchable link, said non-stretchable link being positioned to exert a tensile force on said tension member whenever said ankle cuff portion is pivoted forwardly from its stopped position.

7. The combination as specified in claim 6 wherein said boot has an insole, and wherein said guide means is comprised as a chute which extends from the outside of said boot and to the inside, the portion of said chute inside said boot being positioned below the insole of said boot, and wherein said tension member is also positioned below said insole.

8. In a boot having a base portion and an ankle cuff portion pivotally attached to said base portion for pivotal movement from a normal at rest position about a transverse axis substantially coinciding with the axis of pivot of an ankle bone of a foot within said boot, and means to permit access of a foot into said boot, the improvement comprising bias means for biasing said ankle cuff portion to -resist forward pivoting movement thereof, said bias means comprising a substantially non-stretchable link attached to said ankle cuff portion, a tension member, means to attach said tension member between the base portion of said boot and said link, so that said link exerts a tensile force on said tension member whenever said ankle cuff portion is pivoted forwardly from its normal position.

9. The combination as specified in claim 8 wherein said boot has an insole spaced upwardly from the bottom of the boot and wherein the link is flexible, and guide means for the link comprising a chute which extends from the outside of said boot through a wall of said boot to the inside, the portion of said chute inside said boot is positioned below the insole of said boot, and wherein said tension member is also positioned beneath the insole.

10. The combination asspecified in claim 8 and stop means cooperating between the boot base portion'and the ankle cuff portion to limit the amount that the ankle cuff portion can pivot rearwardly.

11. The combination as specified in claim 8 wherein said tension member comprises a plurality of elastic links attached to said non-stretchable link at first ends thereof, second ends of said elastic links being held from movement with respect to the base portion of said boot.

12. The combination as specified in claim 11 wherein the elastic links are each of different stiffness.

13. The combination as specified in claim 11 wherein the elastic links start to resist forward pivotal movement of the cuff portion sequentially as the cuff portion pivots.

14. in a yboot having a base portion and an ankle cuff portion pi-votally attached to said base portion for limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis substantially coinciding with the axis of pivot of an `ankle bone of a foot within `said boot, the improvement comprising bias means for biasing said ankle cuff portion to resist forward movement thereof, said bias means comprising a link between the base portion ofthe boot and the cuff portion thereof and means including a resilient member for attaching said link between the cuff portion and the base portion of the boot.

1S. The combination as specified in claim 14 wherein said resilient member is loaded in tension when the ankle cuff is pivoted forwardly.

16. In a boot having a base portion and an ankle cuff portion pivotally attached to said base portion for limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis substantially coinciding with the axis of pivot of an ankle bone of a foot within said boot, an access flap on the boot including a section of s-ai-d cuff portion, movable to position to permit access of a foot into said boot, the improvement comprising bias means for biasing said ankle cuff portion to resist forward movement about its pivot, stop means which limits the rearward pivotal movement of the said ankle cuff portion and permits forward pivotal movement thereof, and releasable means to hold the access flap in a cros'ed position without being affected by the angular position of the ankle cuff portion, including first and second cables, means to attach first ends of said first and second cables to said boot, s-aid first cable being attached to said cuff portion and said second cable being attached to the base portion thereof, and clamp means to securely fasten second ends of said cables after said cables have been wr-apped substantially completely around the cuff portion and the base portion, respectively, so as to hold said iiap in closed position.

17. The combination as specified in cl-aim 16 wherein there is an open space between the base portion of said boot and the ankle cuff portion thereof, and an imperforate shroud member attached to said -cables and movable with said cables, said shroud member extending between said cables and substantially encircling the ankle cuff portion and the upper part of the base portion of said boot.

18. A boot having a lower base portion, and an upper ankle cuff portion, with an open area between said cuff portion and said base portion, and a flap member including a portion o-f said cuff section which is movable to open position to permit access of a foot into said boot, the improvement comprising means for holding said flap member in a closed position and for covering the open area between the cuff portion and said base portion, said lmeans `comprising a shroud adapted to be wrapped around said boot, a portion thereof overlying the base portion of said boot and a portion thereof overlying the cuff portion of said boot, first and second cables carried by said shroud and extending therealong adjacent the upper and lower edges thereof, means to attach first ends of said first and second cables to said boot, said first cable being attached to said cuff portion and said second cable being attached to said base portion thereof, and cla-mp means to securely fasten second ends of said cables and said shroud after said shroud has been wrapped substantially completely around said boot so as to hold said flap member against the main portion of said boot when clamped in place.

19. A boot having a base portion and an ankle cuff portion, first means to pivotally attachsaid cuff portion to the base portion for pivotal movement from a normal at rest position about a transverse axis, and means to permit access of a foot into said boot, characterized in that there is provided bias means for biasing said ankle cuff portion t=o resist forward pivoting movement thereof, said bias means comprising an elastic spring element, and lseparate second means spaced from the first means to attach said spring element between the base portion of said boot and said culic portion so that said element exerts a resilient force on said cuff portion when said ankle cuff portion is pivoted forwardly from its normal position.

20. An athletic boot comprising .a base portion, an ankle cuff portion, `and means pivotally mounting said cuff portion on said base portion on an axis transverse of the longitudinal axis of said boot, said transverse axis substantially coinciding with the axis of pivoting at the ankle of the wearer of said boot, said boot having a substantially rigid'shell, an access fiap including a section of said cuff portion and means hingedly mounting said access flap on said boot whereby said flap is movable to a position to permit access of a foot into said boot, characterized in that releasable means are provided to hold said access fiap in a closed position including first and second cable means, means to attach the first end of said first cable means to said cuff portion, means to attach the first end of said second cable means to said base portion, clamp means on said cuff portion to securely fasten the second end of said first cable means, and clamp means on said base portion to ysecurely fasten the second end of said second cable means, said cable means crossing the junction between the boot and the access iiap so as to hold said flap in closed position. Y

21. The boot of claim 20 further characterized in that the boot has a base portion, a cuff portion pivotally attached to the base portion for movementabout a transverse pivot, and wherein the access flap includes a section on the cuff portion and the second cable means being positioned on the base portion, and a shroud member extending between said rst and second cable means 4and substantially encircling the ankle cuff portion and the upper part of the base portion of said boot when said clamp means on said boot are fastened.

22. In a boot having a base portion and an ankle cuff lportion pivotally attached to said base sportion for limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis, and means for permitting foot access into said boot, the improvement comprising bias means for biasing said ankle cui portion to resist forward movement about its pivot, said bias means incl-uding means to increase the force rate thereof tending to resist increased forward pivotal movement of the ankle cuff portion as said ankle cul portion is pivoted forwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,444,428 7/ 1948 Carrier 36-2.5 5 2,516,872 8/1950 Hauser et al 128-8 3,067,531 12/1962 Scott et al 36'-2.5 3,239,952 3/1966 Lange et a1. 36-2.5 3,259,950 7/1966 Tuefel 36-50 X FOREIGN PATENTS 10 838,587 12/1938 France.

722,436 7/ 1942 Germany.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 15 A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Parent No. 3,313,046 April 11, 1967 Prank D. Werner et all.v

It s hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below line 66, for "fot" read foot column 7,

side edge surfaces which mate line 18, for "which" read with read shroud Column 5, line 59, strike out "opposite with spaced apart"; column 9, column 9, line 38, for "should Signed and sealed this 7th day of November 1967.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD I. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. IN A BOOT HAVING A BASE PORTION AND AN ANKLE CUFF PORTION PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID BASE PORTION FOR LIMITED PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDING WITH THE AXIS OF PIVOT OF AN ANKLE BONE OF A FOOT WITHIN SAID BOOT, AND MEANS FOR PERMITTING FOOT ACCESS INTO SAID BOOT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING BIAS MEANS FOR BIASING SAID ANKLE CUFF PORTION TO RESIST FORWARD MOVEMENT ABOUT ITS PIVOT RELATIVE TO THE BASE PORTION, AND STOP MEANS WHICH POSITIVELY LIMITS THE REARWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ANKLE CUFF PORTION ABOUT THE TRANSVERSE AXIS TO A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR POSITION AND PERMITS FORWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREOF. 